Travel Nurse Salary by State: How Much Do Travel Nurses Make Across the US?
Traveling nurse is a profession fit for those who like to combine work and leisure. It requires nurses to go to healthcare facilities that struggle with personnel shortage and work there for a specific amount of time. These assignments usually last from 4 to 13 weeks, during which most travel nurses perform tasks similar to those of a regular RN.
The travel nurse profession is one of the most sought out nurse professions out there, not only for the benefit of traveling the world but also because of the competitive wages it offers.
If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse you need to either earn an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), which might soon become the norm for registered nurses in many states.
Become a learner in our accredited BSN Program and embark on your traveling nurse journey today!
Are Travel Nurse Salaries Really That Good?
Travel nurses typically earn far more than regular nurses and their contracts include different base pays and benefits such as paid housing and travel costs reimbursement.
This is why calculating the annual salary of a travel nurse is a bit tricky. However, ZipRecruiter, one of the top job platforms out there, managed to collect data on travel nurse salaries across all 50 states of the USA.
In February 2019, ZipRecruiter reported that the average annual pay for a Travel Nurse in the United States is $92,734, with a monthly wage of $7,728 and an hourly wage of $45.
The highest paying state for travel nurses is New York, with a $101,365 travel nurse annual salary. This may be the case because the Big Apple is one of the most expensive US states to live in. Since travel nurses wages include both housing and travel expenses, it makes sense that the most expensive states to live in are the ones that offer the highest pay for travel nurses.
On the opposite end, North Carolina has a $73,820 travel nurse annual salary, which makes it the lowest paying state in America.
Here is a list with the best and worst paying states for travel nurses, ranked from highest to lowest pay:
New York
Hourly wage: $48.73
Annual salary: $101,365
Massachusetts
Hourly wage: $48.53
Annual salary: $100,945
Maryland
Hourly wage: $45.63
Annual salary: $94,909
California
Hourly wage: $45.16
Annual salary: $93,941
Vermont
Hourly wage: $44.72
Annual salary: $93,010
Alaska
Hourly wage: $44.71
Annual salary: $93,000
Nevada
Hourly wage: $44.71
Annual salary: $93,000
Montana
Hourly wage: $44.71
Annual salary: $93,000
North Dakota
Hourly wage: $44.71
Annual salary: $93,000
Wyoming
Hourly wage: $44.71
Annual salary: $93,000
Idaho
Hourly wage: $44.71
Annual salary: $93,000
West Virginia
Hourly wage: $44.69
Annual salary: $92,958
Hawaii
Hourly wage: $44.63
Annual salary: $92,831
Nebraska
Hourly wage: $44.28
Annual salary: $92,093
Washington
Hourly wage: $44.18
Annual salary: $91,898
Arizona
Hourly wage: $43.98
Annual salary: $91,488
Virginia
Hourly wage: $43.81
Annual salary: $91,127
Connecticut
Hourly wage: $43.68
Annual salary: $90,855
Rhode Island
Hourly wage: $43.58
Annual salary: $90,655
New Hampshire
Hourly wage: $43.43
Annual salary: $90,335
Delaware
Hourly wage: $43.23
Annual salary: $89,928
Minnesota
Hourly wage: $42.62
Annual salary: $88,660
Pennsylvania
Hourly wage: $42.46
Annual salary: $88,320
Louisiana
Hourly wage: $42.28
Annual salary: $87,947
Colorado
Hourly wage: $42.20
Annual salary: $87,783
Oregon
Hourly wage: $42.15
Annual salary: $87,668
South Carolina
Hourly wage: $42.04
Annual salary: $87,440
Kansas
Hourly wage: $42.01
Annual salary: $87,388
New Jersey
Hourly wage: $41.96
Annual salary: $87,282
Tennessee
Hourly wage: $41.73
Annual salary: $86,796
Kentucky
Hourly wage: $41.72
Annual salary: $86,776
Oklahoma
Hourly wage: $41.49
Annual salary: $86,292
Indiana
Hourly wage: $41.32
Annual salary: $85,937
Utah
Hourly wage: $41.28
Annual salary: $85,856
Iowa
Hourly wage: $41.20
Annual salary: $85,704
Ohio
Hourly wage: $41.20
Annual salary: $85,689
South Dakota
Hourly wage: $41.20
Annual salary: $85,686
Wisconsin
Hourly wage: $40.71
Annual salary: $84,675
Georgia
Hourly wage: $40.71
Annual salary: $84,496
Alabama
Hourly wage: $40.46
Annual salary: $84,155
New Mexico
Hourly wage: $40.23
Annual salary: $83,673
Texas
Hourly wage: $40.19
Annual salary: $83,600
Mississippi
Hourly wage: $39.23
Annual salary: $81,597
Illinois
Hourly wage: $38.82
Annual salary: $80,744
Michigan
Hourly wage: $38.75
Annual salary: $80,599
Arkansas
Hourly wage: $38.70
Annual salary: $80,498
Missouri
Hourly wage: $38.65
Annual salary: $80,397
Maine
Hourly wage: $38.36
Annual salary: $79,795
Florida
Hourly wage: $37.34
Annual salary: $77,671
North Carolina
Hourly wage: $35.49
Annual salary: $73,820
If you’re interested in the average annual income for Registered Nurses of all career specialties, check out our Nurse Salaries in the US study and find out which are the happiest states for RNs, from a financial point of view.